Summer Memory
by merder4everandever
Summary: It was a summer love. She promised she would come back, but didn't. Now almost 10 years later she comes back engaged. Can their love be resurrected? Or is there too much damage? Oh those summer days... Mermark with hints of merder
1. Chapter 1

**CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! **_**ANOTHER**_** STORY?!?!?!**

**Summary: It was only a summer love. It wasn't supposed to be like this, it wasn't supposed to be this hard. She wasn't supposed to come back 10 years later...**

* * *

**1997**

"I can't believe the summer is over," Mark sighed stroking Meredith's hair.

"I know," she breathed, taking in the sun setting in the distant. "It sucks I have to leave a week earlier."

"You'll be back next summer though, right?" he asked concerned.

"Of course," she nodded. "We come here every year."

"Good." He nestled closer to her, breathing in her scent. "I wish we could just stay like this, I don't want to go to college."

"You'll be fine," she laughed, holding onto his hand. "Plus NYU is an amazing school."

"So is Stanford," he replied, massaging her hand.

"Don't worry, the summer will be here before you know it," she said, trying so hard to convince herself this would be true. She had fallen in love with him. She wasn't supposed to. It had been two months; you weren't supposed to fall for someone in only two months. But she did, and hard at that. He treated her differently, and even though she was only 17, she knew he loved her back.

"I'm going to come see you," he protested. "I'll get a flight out there and come see you."

"Mark, NYU and Stanford are halfway across the country; you'll never be able to afford a ticket." She hated being so cynical. But she didn't want to get her hopes up, his hopes up. They would have to wait till summer.

"Fine," he surrendered, resting his head on her shoulder. "Then summer. You promise you'll come back?"

She turned her neck, resting her hand on his cheek. "Of course, I wouldn't do anything else."

He smiled, planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Next summer."

"Next summer," she smiled, kissing him back.

**1998**

"Meredith, Rosen wants to see you in his office," a tall threatening woman instructed her.

Meredith sighed, getting up from her tiny desk in her tiny ten inch office space. Fluffing out her hair, she began to walk towards her boss's room. She had been working for one of the toughest insurance agencies out there, and on top of that, she was taking all honors courses at Stanford. But nevertheless she needed the extra cash.

Knocking lightly on her boss's door, she hesitantly walked in. "Mr. Rosen? You wanted to see me?"

"Oh yes Meredith sit down," her frazzled boss stammered, stumbling through the mass of papers on his desk. "As you know," he continued, "summer is coming up, and you will be leaving us for 2 months."

She nodded, tugging at the bottom hem of her shirt. Every time someone mentioned the word 'summer' her stomach did a complete flip. She and Mark had been keeping in touch, and she was beyond excited to come back to him. It had been way too long. "Yes sir."

"Right, well, I have been talking with Hanson and Fendermen and we have all came to a conclusion that you deserve a promotion."

Her mouth dropped and her eyes went wide. "A promotion?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, now the pay will increase, obviously, and we will also be taking care of your medical and dental insurance so you won't have to worry about that. Oh and this is always a crowd favorite…your own office. It's a chance only a few get."

"I, I don't know what to say." She shook her head, completely breathless.

He smiled. "I figured you would feel this way. Now the only catch is that you won't be able to have the summer off. But I don't think that's too big of a sacrifice especially since the offer I am giving you is extraordinary."

"Oh…" she stopped short, losing her words. This was a chance she was never going to get again. She desperately needed the money, but another summer without Mark? Could she bear it? "No, no of course not. When do I start?"

* * *

"So let me get this straight," her best friend Alex said, "You got a job where you get your own office and are basically treated like a freaking queen and you think you made the wrong choice by accepting this?!" 

"It's just," she paced, "I don't know what to do about Mark."

"He was a summer thing," he responded, flipping through a magazine. "He's nothing."

"But he is to me!" she complained plopping down on her bed. "What do I do?"

"Just forget about him, Mer…he's stressing you out. Just cut all the connections, take the job, then he'll be a thing of the past."

"You don't get it," she shook her head thinking back to that amazing summer. "He's different."

"Look," he rolled around on his belly, "You have three choices; take the job, cut all ties with this dude and be happy. Or you can not take the job, go spend another useless summer with him and be not happy because you'll be broke. OR you could take the job and not cut ties with him and be miserable because you will miss him. If I were you, I would take the first choice," he said matter-of-factly.

"You think?" she asked, her mind telling her to do things one way and her heart…telling her something completely different.

"Definitely. It will be better for both of you. If you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for him. It will make it a hell of a lot easier. If you just cut the ties, it will be easier for him to move on and not miss you so much. Trust me; a guy can only take so much heartache."

She bit her bottom lip, knowing this decision would haunt her forever. But she knew Alex was right. If she just stopped all forms of communication, maybe he will be able to move on, even though she desperately did not want him to. "Okay," she sighed, "I choose door number one."

* * *

She didn't come back. She didn't call, she didn't write, she didn't do anything. He wasted his entire summer waiting for her, loving her, and she didn't come back. He was sick over it. She promised she would come back, she promised everything would work out okay. But she wasn't there with him. He hated this. He hated not being able to hear the sound of her voice or breathe in the scent of her hair. He didn't know why she refused to answer his calls or delete his e-mails. He didn't know why he waited as long as he did. But he waited and it was all for nothing because obviously she didn't love him like he had loved her. 

**2008**

"So why are we going again?" Derek asked his fiancé, fidgeting with a tie.

"Alex is getting married, I told you that," she scrambled, trying to find her earrings. "And for some strange reason he wanted to get married at the Jersey Shore."

"Right," he nodded. "At least he's getting married to someone nice. I like Izzie, she's sweet."

"Yeah, she's perfect for him," she agreed, slipping on her high heels. "I'm glad he's happy."

Derek smiled, slipping his hands around Meredith's waist. "Well we'll soon have our happy ending."

She grinned, kissing him lightly. "I know…maybe if we like the way this is done, we could get married there as well."

"At the Jersey Shore?" he inquired, his eye brows raised.

"Yeah, I grew up there. It's amazing Derek you'll love it."

"Alright, I'll be open to it."

"Good," Meredith winked before grabbing his hand. "Now come on, I have this stupid dinner thing and we can't be late."

"If you hate your job this much, just quit," he reminded her, putting on his jacket.

"I can't quit," she groaned. "Not now at least."

"We need someone at the hospital to do paper work you would be perfect for it!"

"Yeah but I don't want to do that stuff anymore. I'm sick of it," she moaned, locking the front door. "But once we're married we'll figure it out."

"Whatever you say…" Derek sighed, tangling his fingers with Meredith's.

* * *

"I know pronounce you husband and wife," the priest shouted, interrupted by jolts of laughter and claps. 

"This is so beautiful," Meredith whispered to Derek, clapping her hands frantically.

He wrapped his hand around her shoulder. "Yeah, it is."

"I'm married Mer!" Alex exclaimed as he and Izzie walked down the aisle, rice splattering all over their heads.

"I know!" Meredith laughed, giving his hand a tight squeeze before he continued walking down.

As she watched them saunter down the aisle as man and wife something clicked inside her. She Inhaled deeply, breathing in the smell of the salty air. She shut her eyes and thought back to all those days at the beach. Everything about it was magnificent; the smell, the ocean, the sand…beautiful. This was the place where she wanted to get married. This was where she wanted to be. But when she opened her eyes, something looked familiar. As the face turned around more, she gasped…it was Mark.

**A/N: So Mark was at the wedding. He was there for Izzie and you'll find out why in the next chapter. I know its choppy but this is just the start. And uhm hopefully everything else makes sense so please review and tell me if I should continue!**


	2. Chapter 2

Meredith's mouth dropped in astonishment. "Oh my God," she whispered to herself, turning her face away from the man she had loved so many years ago.

"Everything okay?" Derek asked nudging her.

She turned around, giving him her sweetest smile. "Of course," she beamed. "I'm just happy for Alex; it's great he's getting married."

"I know," he grinned grabbing her hand.

She tangled her fingers with his, but refused to look up. If Mark ever saw her, especially like this, everything would be so much more complicated than it needed to be.

"Oh Mark, I cannot believe your cousin is married to that handsome man!" an older lady exclaimed.

Meredith slowly inched her head towards the voices and tried her best to hear the conversation.

"I know, I remember changing Izzie's diapers. It's crazy," Mark smiled shaking his head.

"Cousin?" Meredith mouthed, her eye brows furrowed. There was no way Mark Sloan could have been Izzie's cousin! She had been to every family function involving Izzie and Alex, and not once had she seen _him!_

"How about you Mark?" the lady continued. "When are you getting married?"

"Addison and I were thinking the fourth," he replied instantly.

Meredith gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Derek leaned in concerned.

"Of course, I just need some…fresh air," she shrugged, taking great care in covering her face with her long hair.

"Mer…we're outside," he said bluntly, a smile playing on his lips.

"Oh…" _Great, Meredith, just perfect_. "Right."

"And who is that handsome man?" the old lady questioned, tilting her head towards Derek. "Are you another cousin?"

_Oh shit_.

"Me?" Derek asked, pointing to himself. "Oh no, I'm just hear with my-"

"DOG!" Meredith screamed, her back still facing Mark. "Look, there's a dog."

"What?" Derek asked, turning around. "I don't see anything."

"Oh great, let's go." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of his seat.

"What the hell are you doing?" Derek said flabbergasted. "That woman was asking me a question!"

"SHHH!" she warned.

"What is going on?" He stopped, his feet digging into the soft sand.

She closed her eyes, hoping desperately no one was witnessing the spectacle she was creating. "I just, we just, let's just go."

"Meredith," he said firmly, forcing her to turn around. "What is going on?"

She looked down, twisting a piece of hair in her fingers. _What kind of lie could I use? _"Uhm, you see…I just realized, watching this wedding, that uhm…I want to get married soon."

Derek's eyes grew wide. "You do? I thought you wanted to wait a year."

"I did," she blurted out. "But maybe we could push it forward, you know?"

"Uhm…okay? If that's what you want…"

"Great! Now can we please go?" she pressured, knowing that she would soon be caught…

"Meredith?" Mark asked, sneaking up behind Derek

_Oh this is just perfect_.

She looked up, letting out a small smile. "Hi…Mark."

"Oh my God," he breathed, completely taken back. "Wow, I can't believe I'm seeing you."

"Small world huh?" she laughed nervously.

Derek cleared his throat, staring between the two.

"Oh right," Meredith blinked, never taking her eyes off of Mark. "This is Derek…"

"Her fiancée," he finished, shaking Mark's hand firmly.

"Oh, you're…engaged," he nodded in complete shock.

"Yeah," Derek continued, "We've been dating for 3 years."

Mark was about to speak until a very tall, very beautiful red haired woman slipped her arm around his waist and smiled. "Hi, I'm Addison."

"Oh yeah," Mark stuttered, still gaping at Meredith. "This is Addison…my fiancée."

"So you're getting married too?" Meredith asked, a stinging pain running through her veins. "That's great."

"Yep," he nodded, looking around him. "Well this is awkward…"

"Yeah," Meredith agreed, "Is there a bar around here?"

"Oh right over there!" Addison beamed, snuggling closer to Mark.

"Thanks," Meredith replied coldly, turning towards the bar.

Derek caught up with her and inquired, "Who was that?"

"Just a guy…he was a friend 10 years ago."

She quickly poured herself a glass of wine and downed it in no time. "Isn't it funny?" she laughed, drinking another glass, "I mean, like, you never expect to see a person 10 years later!"

"Right," he nodded, taking the cup away from her. "Don't get drunk; seriously, Alex would hate you forever."

"No he wouldn't," she stated taking the glass right back. "He's fine with me getting drunk."

"Well I'm not. Come on, what's so bad about meeting an old friend?"

The glass was cold against her bare hands. A chilly wind ripped through the beach, causing the grains of sands to swirl around them. She shivered, slowly putting down the wine. It wasn't worth it. "You're right, it's not bad."

"Good." He wrapped his arms around hers and kissed the top of her head. "Now let's get to that reception."

"Okay," she sighed, looking back at Mark who was already returning the gaze.

* * *

"This is so great," Addison gushed, dipping a strawberry into a huge chocolate fountain. "Wow Mark…have some," she urged, sticking a dripping strawberry in his face.

"I'm fine," he replied, looking around the crowded ballroom. He hadn't seen Meredith since they last spoke on the beach, and he still could not believe their paths had crossed again.

"You don't know what you're missing." She took a long, drawn out bite of the strawberry and quickly licked her fingers. "We are so having a chocolate fountain at our wedding."

"Okay," he responded, not paying any attention to his girlfriend. He wanted to, but that image of her, of Meredith, was still planted in his mind, refusing to go away.

"Are you okay?" she asked, wiping away the chocolate stains on her cherry lips. "You've been so out of it."

"I'm okay, just tired," he shrugged, tracing his fingers along the thin cloth resting on the table.

"Who was that girl earlier?" Addison asked nonchalantly, her eyes penetrating towards him.

"What?" he questioned, facing her for the first time. "Meredith? She's, she's no one."

"Didn't seem like no one," she responded, shaking her head annoyed.

"Well it was!" he defended himself, taking another shot glass from a passing waiter. "She was just a friend from 10 years ago."

"Right…well she seems sweet," she stated coolly, reaching for another strawberry.

"Hey guys are you enjoying the party?!" Izzie exclaimed, popping up behind Mark.

"Definitely," he replied, hugging his cousin. "Congratulations!"

"I can't even believe it! I mean look at this ring!" She flashed a huge diamond square cut ring in his face, squealing the entire time. "Isn't it gorgeous?!"

"Oh my gosh!" Addison grinned, taking her hand. "Iz, it's wonderful."

"I know!" she laughed, "Oh and before I forget, Dr. Rosenberg wanted to talk to you."

"Oh man!" Addison groaned. "He wants me to do some consult. I'll be right back." She quickly kissed Mark's cheek then disappeared in the swarm of guests and photographers.

"It's really pretty Izzie," Mark smiled, sipping on his tequila. "But I need to ask you something."

"Okay, shoot."

"How do you know Meredith Grey?"

"She's Alex's friend," Izzie replied, sticking a few marshmallows into her purse. "But she's really nice. You would like her."

"No kidding," he mumbled. "Well, like I said, congrats."

"Thanks big cousin," she mocked, playfully pushing him. "I just can't wait to come to you and Addison's wedding!"

"Oh yeah, _that_ should be fun," he said sarcastically, downing the rest of his shot.

"You don't seem that enthused?"

"She's taking over everything!" he exclaimed reaching for another glass. "I can't have one say…"

"Aw, well I'm sure she'll let you if you just ask…"

"Doubt it," he murmured, "But this is your day. Go have fun."

"Okay, okay," she rolled her eyes. "But remember, your saying that speech thingy."

"Already covered," he assured her, tapping at his pocket. "Wrote it last night."

"Great!" She gave him the thumbs up before ducking into the crowd.

"Yup, great," he breathed, staring into his empty glass.

"Some party huh?" Derek asked, planting a hand on Mark's shoulder as he rounded towards the fountain.

"Oh," Mark jumped surprised. "Didn't see you there."

"I had to check out this thing," he teased, sticking a finger into the drizzling chocolate. "So how do you know Meredith again?" he asked, sucking the sweet chocolate off his finger.

"Oh uhm…we were sort of friends I guess…" he cleared his throat, all those amazing memories coming back to him.

"10 years ago?"

"Yeah, 10 years ago," he clarified. "She's, well, you're lucky."

"I am," he agreed, though something was off. "Are you sure you guys were _just_ friends?"

Mark looked up, not sure how to respond. "Uhm yeah…just friends."

* * *

**A/N: Aww I'm falling in love with this story!!**

**Review please **


	3. Chapter 3

The reception was winding down as the hours clicked on. Meredith had managed to avoid Mark for almost the entire night. Yet, whenever she would see him from across the way, or awkwardly lock eyes with him on the dance floor, there was a shock that ran throughout her body. They were connected to each other in more ways than one. That in itself scared her to death.

"Mer?" Derek asked, noticing how glazed over his girlfriend's eyes were. "Are you okay? You seem so out of it."

"I'm fine," she breathed, taking another quick shot, her nose scrunching up from the horrid taste. "Just tired."

"Or drunk," Derek sighed, running his thick fingers through tousled black curls. "Listen, baby, you can tell me if you and Mark used to date or had a thing or whatever. I'm not going to care." He pulled her chin close to him, giving her a soft smile. "I love you and I know you love me. You don't have to make this awkward for all of us."

"How did you.." she began, trying to wrap her mind around how Derek could have possibly guessed her and Mark used to date.

"Alex," he shrugged. "You were acting strange all night so I went up and asked him who Mark was and what the whole deal was about."

Meredith's eyes snapped open wide as the blood began to rush to her head. Alex knew? How could he possibly know Mark was coming to the wedding and _not _tell her! You would think, being her best friend, he would have at least warned her! She was in a rage and Derek could tell.

"Why are you getting so upset?" He pushed his hand away, backing up slightly to look at her red face.

"He could have told me!" she spat, the alcohol running through her blood at full swing. "Mark and I used to date when we were young. Really young. But it ended weird and now this whole thing is just weird! I never thought I would see him ever again yet here I am and here he is. I just...I just am confused..."

"About what?" Derek's voice grew low and a shade of gray overshadowed the pale blue of his eyes. "What are you saying?"

"Nothing," she quickly shook her head, knowing she had said too much to him already. "It's just weird. That's all." She put her cool palm on his cheek, hoping to comfort him. "You know I love you," she whispered, planting a soft kiss on his lips. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, sighing deeply. "Let's just go. I think we are all tired." He got up from the table, swinging his suit jacket around his body, allowing it to drape on one finger. "I'll get the car."

Meredith nodded solemnly, smoothing out the edges of her dress. She was about to get up from her seat until a far too familiar voice stopped her.

"So if I didn't know any better I would think you were avoiding me all night..."

She swallowed hard, knowing that talking to him alone would be a bad idea. They had left things so unfinished. It was only natural that she would want to finish the puzzle before starting a new one. But she was in love with Derek. That she knew. Her and Mark could never be...always be unfinished.

"Mark I," she turned around, losing her words at how good he looked in his tux. "I..."

He chuckled lightly, his eyes sparkling. "You haven't changed a bit Meredith Grey." He gave her a quick wink before motioning toward the stage at the center of the ballroom. "Speech time."

"You're giving a speech?" she asked, stumbling after him, her heels proving to be a little too high for the amount of tequila shots she consumed.

"Yes," he announced proudly, grinning wide. Meredith melted at the sight of his gorgeous smile. That was always her weakness...that god damn famous smile. "Wish me luck?"

"Luck," she mumbled softly, a coy smile tugging at the sides of her lips.

He returned a half smile, fully mesmerized by her long legs, her sea green eyes, her shiny hair. He never realized just how beautiful she was until that very moment. He lingered a little longer than he should have, not wanting to pull his gaze away from hers. He couldn't believe that after all this time, after all this waiting and wondering, after all the what ifs and what could have beens...what should have beens...she still had the ability to make his knees weak. It took all the energy in the world to not run up to her and kiss her. He still remembered what it felt like, what it tasted like, and yearned for just one more chance. He probably would have given into his temptations had not Izzie's booming voice rang over the ballroom.

"Hello friends and family!" her voice echoed, the microphone turning her sweet, melodic voice into a powerful roar, "I just wanted to say thank you so much for making it all the way out here! I know Alex has a lot of people that came all the way from California to see us and it just makes me so happy to know that we have an amazing support system." She stopped to smile at everyone in the crowd, nodding at a rather large group of people in the far left corner. "We love each and every one of you and want to thank all of you for making this day so special. Now, without further delay, I would like to call my big cousin Mark up to the stage to say a few words. Mark was always the big brother I never had and practically begged me to give a speech!" she chuckled at this and was joined by a few members in the sea of people in front of her. "So I would like you to join me in giving a warm welcome to my best friend, my family, my amazing cousin...Mark Sloan!"

Meredith clapped softly, hoping not to appear too in awe at the smooth moves of Mark. She glanced around the room, noticing how every girl began to swoon one by one at the sight of him. She smiled to herself, loving the fact that he had once chosen her out of all the other girls he could have been with.

"Thank you!" he grinned, taking the microphone from Izzie. "Okay," he began, his heart racing at the sight of the abundance of people. "So I just want to make this as short and sweet as possible because I have another party to go to in a half hour and don't want to be late."

The crowd erupted in laughter and Meredith rolled her eyes at his failed attempt at humor. He always tried to make her laugh with one of his corny jokes and puns. They were cute, she would admit, but nothing too hysterical. She found it enjoyable that he made it his life goal to find the perfect joke for her. She would milk it as much as possible, always loving how cute he became when he was flustered or annoyed at her lack of joke interest. Thinking back on it now, those small memories made her miss him.

"Just kidding!" he grinned, satisfied at the recation. Fumbling in his back pocket he pulled out a crumbled napkin with writing on it. Clearing his throat he began, "I just wanted to say that Izzie is the most amazing cousin I have. Granted, she is the only cousin I have but she has always been so kind and loving. I know Alex and her are the perfect match and I cannot wait to see what big plans God has in store for you two." He glanced over at the couple, raising his champagne glass. "Even though I no longer have you to myself, Iz, I know that you will always be a major part of my life. You have inspired me in so many ways and I love you to the world and back. Don't ever change. You're the best. Congratulations!"

The crowd roared in applause as Mark breathed a sighed of relief. Meredith smiled brightly, watching as he began to float down the stairs. Damn was he attractive. Her inappropriate thoughts were interrupted by the ferocious buzzing of her cell phone. Startled, she jumped slightly, rummaging through the many useless contents of her oversized purse. Finding her phone, she answered quickly, "Hello?"

"Mer I've been calling you for 5 minutes. I'm in the car, where are you?"

"Uh," she waited, noticing Mark was coming toward her. "I'm talking to Alex and Iz. I'll be out in a second. Bye." She hung up the phone just in time.

"What did you think?"

"Aside from the cheesy joke in the beginning I thought it was very sweet." She shot him a quick grin, knowing just how cute he thought she was.

"Ah you and your non appreciation for good humor!" he pushed her slightly, simmering wide the entire time.

"Some things never change I guess." She shrugged, looking him up and down once again. "It's great to see you."

"You too," he nodded. "It's been years."

"Decades even," she agreed, biting her bottom lip slightly. "Listen I'm sorry I never called. I just got really busy out in California and I just never seemed to have the time - "

"Hey," he stopped her, placing a gentle hand on her crossed arm, "It's not a big deal. I totally understand. You did what you needed to do. That's all that matters. I'm just glad we can finally see each other now! It's crazy."

She nodded, her eyes sparkling at the sight of how happy he seemed to be with her. "Yes. Yes it is." She felt the vibrations of her phone again, trying her best to ignore them. "We should catch up," she suggested, not sure if it was the booze or the sexy sight of him that made her initiate a get together. "Coffee or something."

"I'd like that." He grinned, glancing around nervously to make sure Addison was not witnessing this. She always was the jealous type. "I have to go find Addie...give me your number though and we'll get together."

"268-654-9283," she spat, silently ecstatic that he asked for her number. "Speaking of phones, Derek has been calling me so I better get going."

"I'll see you soon, Mer," Mark beamed, hugging her tightly before disappearing into the lilacs and cakes.

"_Kiss me I dare you," Mark said playfully. "There is no harm in that."_

"_Except for the fact that I have a boyfriend..." Meredith played along with his little game yet she was in no way interested in starting anything. Her family had just bought a house at the Jersey shore and it was their first summer away from their cozy home in California. It seemed crazy to Meredith that they would trade the high roller status of Cali for the seashells and water taffy tacky-ness of the Jersey shore. Nevertheless, this is where she was forced to be. Away from her friends. Away from the glamor. And most importantly, away from her boyfriend of two years Chris. They had started dating sophomore year and she was convinced he was the one. Even though this new Mark character that she worked with was good looking, she could never give up Chris. That she was sure of. _

"_I will give you all of my tips." He winked seductively, flipping a burger. He had been working at the tiny restaurant for a couple weeks now and had never in his life seen the new girl Meredith. She was cute, definitely bang-able, and would be a nice one and done thing. He knew he had the moves to pull it off. This was just another one of his summer hook ups before college. Nothing special. _

"_Does that tacky charm of yours work on all your girls?" She rolled her eyes, lifting a steaming plate from the table to take outside to hungry customers. "Cause it is pathetic."_

"_Don't act like you're not impressed." His tone became serious now as he cocked a left eyebrow. "You so want me."_

"_Never gonna happen," she shouted over her shoulder, exiting the kitchen with 2 plates full of juicy burgers. _

"Nice of you to want the ride," Derek said coolly, pushing the car into Drive. "I was gonna have you take the bus home."

"Don't be fresh," Meredith sighed, climbing into the passenger seat. "I told you I was talking to Alex's mom."

Derek turned, his eye brows furrowed. "You told me you were talking to Alex and Izzy?"

"Oh right," Meredith recovered, her speech quickening. "That's what I meant to say. Whew. Too Much wine and champagne and shots I guess."

"You did have a lot," Derek bitterly answered, keeping his eyes trained onto the road. "Kind of ridiculous."

"Okay," Meredith answered, her voice low. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Derek shot back, shaking his head. After several moments of awkward silences, he finally spoke again. "Did you really mean what you said earlier today?"

Meredith turned, a confused expression etched on her face. "What?"

"About pushing the wedding back earlier," he explained like it was obvious. "You sure you're ready?"

"Oh," she snapped back, realizing that she did tell Derek that in a state of panic. Of course she did not want to push the wedding back. There was still so much to plan and she was still uneasy about everything which scared her even more. "I'm not sure. Let's just play it day by day and see what happens. I still need to call and arrange the florist and the cake. I also have to book the place. There's a lot to do."

"Yeah," he nodded, the car screeching to a halt at an approaching red light. "Whatever you want."

"_One date," Mark bargained, holding up his index finger. "One date and I will never bother you again."_

_Meredith looked up from the pile of receipts she had been counting. "Why are you so hell bent on getting me on a date? I'm not having sex with you or even kissing you for that matter!" _

"_Don't care," he shrugged, obviously lying but remaining coy about the whole situation. "But I guarantee you that you will kiss me by the end of the date."_

"_Nope," Meredith said matter of factly, collecting the receipts and checks into one pile. "I'm out." She went to the other side of the room to clock out from her hard day of work. Her feet had been killing her and she was in no mood to continue playing these childish games with him. She had told him time and time again that she was in a committed relationship. Nothing would ever happen. As she pulled her card out of the pile to check out, a hard hand reached out and pushed her up against the wall. Her card slipped out of her fingers, flowing right to the floor._

"_What the hell are you doing?" she hissed, trying to break free. _

_He said nothing. He only stared. The more he gazed into her eyes the more relaxed she became. Soon, the squirming and fighting were over with and it was just the two of them. Without saying a word, he traced her lips with his thumb, lifting her chin up slightly. _

"_You sure about that Grey?" _

_Then, without even realizing what she was doing, she leaned in and kissed him. _

Mark laid in bed pretending to be asleep. Addison was snoring softly next to him, unaware of the thoughts running through his head. The image of Meredith was etched into his mind and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to get rid of it. It was amazing that their paths had crossed again, after all these years. It couldn't have meant anything could it? He quickly shook the thought away, knowing far too well that she was untouchable. After all, she was engaged. Hell, he was engaged! Yet, there was no denying the obvious chemistry and attraction that he felt whenever she was near. He loved her when they were 17. Could he honestly love her right now?

A soft vibration rang next to him and he quickly checked his phone to see who could have been texting at such late of an hour. His look of annoyance suddenly switched over to a look of joy as he realized who the text was from

Hey. It's me. Can't sleep. We need to talk. This is crazy. Let's get together tmrw for drinks? Xoxo Mer

His fingers raced across the keyboard, his excitement building at their impending get together.

Can't sleep either. Look at what else we have in common! Lol. Drinks are perfect. Pick u up at 7? Mark

Pressing the send button, he breathed a sigh of relief. She was thinking about him. This was a good sign. Maybe there still was something there after all.

_He leaned down and kissed her, soft at first. Their lips were barely grazing each others. She tried to pull away, tried to resist. She couldn't keep doing this. She had her perfect high school boyfriend at home. The kiss at the restaurant after work was one thing, but this...this was another. She had gone on one date as promised and told him that nothing more would ever happen. That was a minor lapse in judgment and would not continue. Yet, the shock from his kiss was so intense that nothing could stop her from kissing back. So she did. Harder this time, and more passionate. She allowed her body to relax into his, gripping his firm shoulders. His lips traveled to the base of her neck and she moaned at how good it felt, how right. Her eyelids fluttered in pleasure as he continued to feel around her body. He lifted the hem of her skirt, inching his way to her lacy panties. Hooking his fingers around them he yanked them off, tossing them to the side. She pulled the remainder of her clothes off, leaving only her bra. He returned the action my unbuttoning his pants and removing his shirt, displaying a set of perfectly toned abs. She ran her fingers up and down them, allowing her hands to slide up to the nape of his neck, pulling him closer to her. _

"_Meredith," he breathed suddenly, breaking away from her kiss. "I...I can't do this." He turned away from her, burying his face into his hands. _

"_Do what? What's wrong?" She propped herself up on her elbows, smoothing out her messy hair. _

"_I can't have sex with you. Not...not now at least. If I do you will hate me forever." He shook his head, unable to believe that these words were escaping his mouth. After all he was Mark Sloan. He could get any girl he wanted and he knew it! Having sex with them was just the cherry on top. But this girl was different. She wasn't like all the others. When he kissed her, he felt something. When he talked to her, it wasn't just to get into her panties. He actually seemed to care about her. He swallowed hard at the thought. He barely knew her! This was impossible. Yet there he was refusing sex because he didn't want her to be like the others. _

_She looked at him astonished, slowly snapping back into reality. "Mark," she whispered after a long silence, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Thank you." _

_He looked at her over his shoulder, letting out a small smile. "I never usually do that you know."_

"_I know," she grinned, giving him a small kiss. "I'm thinking I need to end something back at home." _


End file.
